![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6992660.1723080151!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Canada pulls diplomats' kids out of Israel as fear of broader war builds
The Canadian government says it decided to pull its diplomats' children and their guardians out of Israel, amid fears over an expanded Mideast war.
The Canadian Olympic Committee said Tuesday it has revoked accreditation from the coach of six-time Olympic medal-winning sprinter Andre De Grasse, citing "new information" that has come to light about coach Rana Reider.
The organization said Reider was on probation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport until May of this year, and the decision to accredit him was based on the understanding that he had no other suspensions or sanctions against him.
"On Sunday Aug. 4 we learned of new information about the appropriateness of Mr. Reider remaining accredited by Team Canada at the Paris 2024 Games," the COC wrote. "In discussion with Athletics Canada, it was agreed that Mr. Reider’s accreditation be revoked.”
The COC did not specify the nature of the new information, but did say that Reider was accredited only as a personal coach with access to athletic warm-up and training areas.
U.K. media outlets have reported the decision is tied to concerns over the "safeguarding" of athletes and allegations of sexual and emotional abuse, and court documents filed in Broward County, Fla., show three women have filed suit against Reider there related to alleged sexual and emotional abuse.
Reider's U.S. based lawyer Ryan Stevens said Reider is “suddenly, and without due process, being denied the right to continue coaching athletes competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games,” based on what the lawyer called "years-old claims in a lawsuit by former athletes seeking financial gain."
Stevens said Reider currently has no sanctions against him by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, USA Track & Field or Athletics Canada.
"It’s a bad day for the Olympics when a governing body’s fear of bad publicity is prioritized over the athletes,” Stevens said in a written statement. "Coach Reider has no pending sanctions against him by any governing body."
The allegations have not been proven in court, and Reider has not been charged with a crime.
In July, the plaintiff of the first lawsuit filed a motion to transfer and consolidate the three cases, arguing that they “involve many of the same defendants and involve the same or similar subject matter, which is the (alleged) sexual and emotional abuse of plaintiffs by defendant Rana Reider and the responsibility of the other defendants for that (alleged) abuse."
The other defendants include the Tumbleweed Track Club, USA Track and Field, as well as Adidas and Puma.
In court documents dated in May, Reider has denied the allegations contained in the first lawsuit, described an allegation of sexual assault as "false and shocking," and filed a counterclaim, citing defamation and other grounds.
The two other lawsuits are listed as having been filed in June. No response has been filed at this time.
Governing body World Athletics said it was not involved in the Olympic accreditation process but confirmed that "conversations" were held at a senior level about Reider's participation.
"The coach in question has not been accredited to any of our recent World Athletics Series Events, including the World Championships, where accreditation is under our control," it said in a statement.
The Guardian reported that on Friday, World Athletics had questioned Canada’s decision to accredit Reider after he had just finished serving his probation.
De Grasse is Canada’s most decorated male summer Olympic medallist, with one gold medal, two silvers and three bronzes. The 29-year-old from Markham, Ont. is the defending champion in the 200 metre event, and will next compete at Wednesday's semifinals at Stade de France, presumably without his coach by his side.
De Grasse split from Reider in 2022 while the coach was being investigated for sexual misconduct by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, but later returned to him.
Reider's SafeSport case was resolved in May 2023 after he admitted to a “consensual romantic relationship with an adult athlete,” the statement from his legal team read. He was not found in violation of other sexual misconduct claims, it said.
The resolution included Reider agreeing to one year of probation with the U.S. Center of SafeSport, permitting him to continue training elite sprinters.
De Grasse reached his highest heights under Reider between 2018 and 2022. He achieved personal bests in the 100 (9.89 seconds) and 200 (19.62) at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, in addition to his best individual result at a worlds, with his 200 silver in 2019.
Reider is also the personal coach of Italian sprinter Marcell Jacobs.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024.
The Canadian government says it decided to pull its diplomats' children and their guardians out of Israel, amid fears over an expanded Mideast war.
One of the U.K.'s senior cabinet ministers insists the country is safe despite the Canadian government cautioning travel to the U.K. due to ongoing far-right violent riots.
Flair Airlines was ordered to compensate two passengers after a B.C. tribunal found there was no evidence a bird strike actually caused a flight cancellation.
The family of a French explorer who died in a submersible implosion has filed a more than US$50 million lawsuit, saying the crew experienced 'terror and mental anguish' before the disaster and accusing the sub's operator of gross negligence.
Organizers of three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna this week called them off on Wednesday after officials announced arrests over an apparent plot to launch an attack on an event in the Vienna area such as the concerts.
The man shot and killed by two armed suspects east of Calgary on Tuesday is believed to be an employee of Rocky View County, where the incident occurred.
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz got an idea of just how hotly contested the Midwest will be when they overlapped on a Wisconsin tarmac with Republican vice-presidential nominee JD Vance.
Two of the five former Team Canada world junior hockey players awaiting trial for an alleged group sexual assault in 2018 have signed contracts with teams in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), according to the league.
The plant-based milk beverages recalled due to a listeria outbreak that killed two people and hospitalized 13 others were produced in the Greater Toronto Area, health officials say.
A whole decade later, there are calls to bring back a trend which brought attention and donations to a good cause.
After two years of owning a service dog, Charlene Izuka was inspired to share her experience and teach others about service dogs through a children's book.
A Quebec man swimming in debt has been living out of his car for the last month, chronicling the experience on TikTok.
Judy Gordon was travelling in Newfoundland last spring, looking for inspiration. The Nova Scotia-based artist was booked for a solo exhibition in Halifax in August and she needed a subject or idea to transform into something eye-catching and striking for patrons.
Several online brokerage firms including Charles Schwab, Fidelity and Vanguard appeared to be down for thousands of users early Monday during one of the biggest stock markets sell-offs of 2024.
William Hui did not cheat. He set his own rules and then planned his route carefully, determined to make it all the way to Tijuana without flying or using Greyhound and Amtrak.
The Alberta government launched a registration portal for Jasper residents to tour the townsite on buses "in the coming days."
Two Ontario men are facing $9,750 in fines after they tried to cover up that a bull moose was shot by mistake last October.
A friendly food war is happening in Sudbury during the month of August among 30 local restaurants in an effort to support a new home for people with developmental disabilities.